| The number of elderly patients with heart failure (HF) is at epidemic proportions. Hospital beds are occupied by elderly HF patients experiencing complications more than any other medical diagnosis. Family caregivers suffer too with the burdens of care required by these patients at home. This study is the first to explore both caregiver and HF patient variables as they relate to caregiver burden, caregiver HRQL and HF patient hospitalizations.;A structured interview approach was utilized to gain HF caregivers perceptions of HF caregiving as it related to caregiver burden and levels of caregiver HRQL. Patient data were collected using medical records to ascertain patient characteristics and hospitalization information from the previous year. Data were explored using advanced statistical techniques that incorporated standard multiple regression models to explain variance in caregiver burden, caregiver HRQL and patient hospitalizations.;Several caregiver characteristics and elements within the caregiving environment explained 51% of the variance in caregiver burden (p <.01). Caregiver age, multiple caregiver health problems, caregiver depressive symptoms, greater caregiver hours per week and multiple patient comorbidities were significant contributors. Caregiver burden explained 62% of the variance in caregiver HRQL (p <.01) suggesting caregiver burden to be important predictor of caregiver HRQL. Caregiver depression, multiple caregiver health problems and higher levels of patient disease severity contributed an additional 2% of variance to the caregiver HRQL model (p <.01). Caregiver family burden, increased care hours and levels of patient disease severity explained 27% of variance in HF patient hospitalizations (p <.01). Caregiver family burden alone explained 13% of the variance in the number of hospital days (p <.05). Caregivers who shared the role, respite caregivers, had significantly lower levels of caregiver family burden (p <.01) than sole caregivers.;A strong relationship between HF caregiver burden and caregiver HRQL is suggested by this study's findings. Therefore, it is critical that nurses assess and intervene to improve the lives of HF caregivers to prevent caregiver health decline. The findings highlight the importance of including caregiver outcomes in HF-related research, particularly, lack of perceived family support as it affects patient hospitalizations. |
